It's one of those freaking days. God knows why. I could use something to calm the mind.

Josh is away again, and so what do I do tonight for entertainment? I think the Sabres are on. I could also go shopping for gifts. I'm looking for a good music DVD for my Dad. His tastes are not mainstream and so you cannot find most of what he wants in normal stores. Maybe I'll stop by New World and see what they have.

I don't really think I want anything material. Money is always good, and there are things I suppose I can use (a.k.a. need) but I don't really find myself wanting anything at all. The closest thing is some kind of speaker system where I can plug my iPod and listen at night. Tons of those are available. Even so, I don't really care if I get anything at all.

No, the things I want are intangibles that just aren't on the shelf.

Whatever. I'm rambling.

Now that I've enticed you with the Drudge-esque title, here's a link to the story of a Federal Lawsuit involving Ladies' Night. Some guy is suing because he alleges it is discriminatory to let chicks in for nothing and for their drinks to be practically free:



I have mixed feelings about this.

I don't buy the argument that Ladies' Night benefits guys in "other" ways - it sure as shit isn't a guarantee you are going to go home with a hottie. I hate the fact the bars are trying to disguise their greed. They want to sell drinks, not get guys laid, and who buys drinks? We do.

I also don't think that early bird specials or senior citizen coffee mornings are discriminatory. That's pretty cynical, and what are you going to do, go to Grampa and tell him to pony up the buck for his cup of joe? No, you're not, unless you are the biggest asshole ever.

What motivates a straight man to go to a club? I do think it is mostly to see girls, although nobody is expecting to take one home. That only happens for a small percentage of guys who look and act the part of the cheeseball greaser. Most guys just gawk, although the cheap drinks for the girls will impair their judgment enough to maybe tip the scales in our favor.

MY SOLUTION - Keep Ladies' Night, but force clubs to hand back the entrance fee for guys who don't end up bringing one of the ladies home. You'll still get soaked for drinks, but at least you'll be able to receive your "benefit" both ways. It's less discriminatory, no?

First of all, it was great meeting and re-meeting you at the pot luck. Those of you unfortunate enough to not be there, maybe next time. I'll try to bring (e:Joshua) along next time. Everyone loves Josh - he is by far the favorite Larson, due to his extremely outgoing and chatty nature. It is a skill he learned through being a waiter, and doing the job he's doing now.

In case you want to know, and haven't looked outside already, the snow is starting to come down harder now, and it is the heavy stuff that we all hate to shovel. It's "damn" cold now - the kind of day when you want to go cuddle with that hot neighbor upstairs.

Well, I had a bad dream that woke me up at 8 AM, so here I am. You know, over the past few years I've had a variation on the same bad dream, and I can't tell you how much I wish it would go away. It has me thinking of relationships again, and sort of dampens my mood.

My best buddy I think found a girl he really likes, but circumstances may derail that before it ever takes off. Too bad, she's an awesome chick for the most part. I'm hoping for the best for him.

Another friend of mine is a new father, and I'm really excited for him. I'm sort of the opposite of Jerry - he wants to be married but not have kids - and I would love to be a Dad someday, but marriage frightens me. If I met a girl I thought could be that loyal, I would do anything to keep her.

I don't think I'm as close to my NYC pals as I used to be, and I wonder if it's possible to right that ship. Since an ex and I share mutual friends, I don't really see them anymore. I wonder if that will ever change? They go on vacations together now and stuff. There's a part of me that feels left out as a result of this, wondering if I'm losing my friends, but I also think I need to be a far more reliable communicator. I think I'm just going to pick up the phone.

I think a trip to NYC is in order. Not just to visit them but also some other friends who I haven't seen in a while. I start to get vacation time at the beginning of the year, so hopefully I can plan something and get out there.

Ah, another category!

I've just read another excellent offering by Camille Paglia. I would love to buy her a beer sometime and let her just riff about whatever. Hahaha, she's great.



She mentions the fact that Imus is on the air again, with WABC Radio, at the expense of the Curtis & Kuby show. For those who are not familiar, Curtis Sliwa is the founder of the Guardian Angels, and you couldn't beat the New York out of him with an iron pipe. Ron Kuby is a criminal defense and civil rights attorney out of Manhattan. They had a very interesting left/right dynamic on the air that was far different than the Hannity & Colmes dynamic.

Personally, I can't believe Imus is back on the air. I mean I don't think he should be prevented from making a living, but he is fucking old, fucking rich, and a bigot. I don't want to listen to him even more than I didn't want to listen to him before. I really enjoyed the Curtis & Kuby show on internet radio.

I want you guys to read what Ron Kuby wrote about the situation. Kuby is an atheist, pro-abort, anti-war Communist (really, he's a commie), but I love him. Do you know why I love him? Because he's not an asshole. He's not a bomb thrower. He's not a hypocrite. You aren't going to see him fighting right-wing "hatred" by being a bigot or a hater himself. He does not want to control people or make them conform to his vision of the world. He's got the ability to make a good, persuasive argument without exposing BDS symptoms. He's a good guy. I want to buy him a beer too.



Granted....I'm definitely not one to say that the government has any business at all enforcing equality on the airwaves in terms of ideology. That idea is a relic of years gone by, and should never see the light of day again. If you can't come up with a competing product, don't cry to Uncle Sam that competition is too difficult for you to handle.

I will say this - I do agree with Kuby's point about "stationality" and how it stifles critical thinking (and, I'm certain he actually knows what the phrase means). Then again, I think Americans are absolutely in love with the idea - and it isn't a surprise that this extends to media formats outside of radio. People love living in a bubble where their orthodoxy is never challenged.

That being said, I think WABC made a ridiculous and stupid decision to put Imus on the air and take Curtis and Kuby off the air. They've lost me as an e-listener forever. I like the back and forth more and more these days. I love watching old episodes of Firing Line. I, like Camille Paglia, am going to miss Ron Kuby. I hope he gets a great radio gig somewhere else.

Saw the Hatton/Mayweather fight last night, thanks to (e:Joshua) - and I have to say, I was glued to the monitor. What a spectacle. Of course, the Blokes behaved like a bunch of animals, which was a disgrace, but no surprise to anyone who follows English sports (England v. Croatia is only the most recent example).

I was thinking to myself, you know, the NFL is becoming less and less attractive to me. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but there have been times (certain Super Bowls in recent memory) that my faith in the NFL as an honest sports enterprise has waned significantly. I also know that the NFL would love nothing more than for the Bills to leave here and move to Toronto or Los Angeles, strictly for TV revenue, and that doesn't help things.

So I think, well, if I'm supposed to believe in the NFL, I might as well believe that Boxing isn't corrupt or shady, and just enjoy the entertainment as it is - and I have to say I don't give a damn how much of a jerk Floyd Mayweather is - he is an unbelievable boxer. I loved watching the fight.

Thanks (e:Joshua)!